A batch of wood toys from a Ningbo toy company are notified by France at the beginning of August 2015 as the thickness of its plastic packaging was less than that in the requirements. Such noncompliance can easily cause suffocation hazard.

Inspection and Quarantine Bureau found the actual thickness of the plastic film was 0.033mm, failing to comply with the stipulation that the plastic film for packaging of toys should not be less than 0.038mm in EN71-1:2014 (EU). Such noncompliance results from insufficient understanding from businesses to relevant standards. Some companies hold the position that packaging of toys needn’t fulfill the toy regulations or requirements and they are lacking of measures to control packaging quality.

Most toy companies choose to buy packaging from other companies, lacking control in raw materials, manufacture and storage of packaging. Besides, some 3rd-party testing labs don’t test the thickness of packaging films according to regulations, which makes companies take for no need of toy packaging to comply with toy regulations. The aforesaid will present risks to toy export.

Reminder: Businesses should have a good understanding of requirements for packaging under regulations and also choose an authoritative testing lab to test products in strict accordance with regulations to avoid economic losses.